Sony’s Crackle Looks to Win Advertisers By Going Over the Top

As dozens of TV and Web video companies look to sell advertisers on their new lineups of original series over the next few weeks, Sony Pictures' digital video service Crackle is pitching something it claims is better than a potential hit show. It's touting a new user interface that makes it easy to actually find content on over-the-top TV apps.

During its upfront event on Tuesday in New York, the company plans to unveil a new look for the navigation on its connected TV apps that it hopes will wow both consumers and advertisers. When a person opens the Crackle app on a Roku device, for example, full-screen video starts playing immediately, like say an episode of the buzzy "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" or the Tom Hanks thriller "Angels & Demons."

As the video keeps playing, users can toggle through a menu featuring other episodes or movies tied to whatever is streaming at the moment (like say more episodes of "Comedians in Cars"), rather than having to sift through Crackle's entire library from the get-go.

While Crackle's content is all still available on demand, the company will now stream video constantly in a linear fashion. Depending on when a person logs onto the app, a different show or movie will be playing.

The idea is to help consumers sift through the overwhelming choices offered by on-demand TV and its endless browsing options that can actually make it difficult for people to decide what to watch (which the Onion famously skewered in this video). The new system also tries to recapture the serendipity of stumbling upon something good on TV like when flipping through old-fashioned channel lineups.

"We think this will provide people with a familiar feeling," said Eric Berger, executive vice president of digital networks for Sony Pictures Television and general manager of Crackle. "You can blend browsing with discovery by mixing the best of TV and the Web. And the on-demand library acts like your DVR."

Sony has made over-the-top distribution a priority as the company looks to paint Crackle as a true TV competitor and not just another Web video vendor. (As WSJ reported earlier this year, Crackle pulled out of the NewFronts to host its own upfront event.) Crackle apps are available on 28 different platforms, and 40% of its video consumption is being generated via connected TVs.

Mr. Berger says that TV and mobile viewing is growing quickly, and Crackle's desktop website is not the company's priority long term.

However, growing Crackle's ad base is a top priority. Verizon and Geico are currently among Crackle's sponsors. And Mr. Berger sees the new user interface and the TV-set distribution push as differentiating factors for marketers figuring out where to spend budgets in 2015--particularly for brands accustomed to running TV campaigns.

"Give us your 30-second spots, and you can feel good about them being watched," said Mr. Berger. "We have elegant ad solutions and no issues with viewability."

Besides a sleek new interface, Crackle is showing off a handful of new series during Tuesday's event. The lineup includes"The Art of More," the company's first scripted hour-long drama set in the world of high-end auctions, starring Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth.

Other new Crackle shows include "Supermansion," a comedic, stop-motion animated series about superheroes, and the video game inspired "Dead Tower Rising." "Comedians in Cars," starring Jerry Seinfeld, returns for another season with a lineup of guests including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert, and soon-t0-be "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah.